A Minute
by Heidi
Summary: Sam/Donna, Lisa comes back into all their lives and it isn't a welcome surprise


A Minute  
By Heidi H  
  
  
Disclaimers-These are not my characters and I am making no money off of them.  
  
Ratings-R, language, images, Sam/Donna friendship  
  
Spoilers-In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen, Noel, The Portland Trip, The Stackhouse Filibuster  
  
Thank you to all the people who beta'd and pointed out all of the little details. You are a great help and responsible for this story being a good one.  
  
  
  
Sam Seaborn rushed to keep up with the blond already making her way across the parking lot. The cold October breeze made the night seem darker and more devious. He pulled his coat tighter around him and took the last few steps to meet with the blond.  
  
"Hi Donna." Sam said as his breathing resumed to normal.  
  
"Hi Sam." Donna said pulling her jacket tighter as the wind began to blow harder. The leaves fell to the ground around them and crunched as they walked toward their cars.  
  
"What are you doing here so late on a Saturday night?" Sam inquired.  
  
"Josh needed me to finish typing up a memo and of course it couldn't wait until the morning or Monday." Donna explained with a smile and a laugh.  
  
"Do you need a ride home?" Sam asked wanting to be a considerate friend.  
  
"No, I'm gonna take the train. My place is only a couple blocks away." Donna said.  
  
  
A car came squealing around the parking lot and headed straight for the pair. Donna's face filled with shock and terror. She was frozen with fear. Sam reacted quickly throwing himself toward Donna and knocking them down to the ground between cars. He covered Donna as the car squealed past them and sped up.  
  
After the car passed them, Sam managed to get a look at the plate and grabbed his phone to call security.  
  
Security dispatched agents to the parking lot and sent an aide to Leo McGarry's office to inform him of what had happened in the parking lot. Leo grabbed Toby, Josh, and CJ on his way out.  
  
  
Sam gently nudged Donna, who hadn't stirred since he knocked her down.  
  
"Donna? Donna, it's okay, we're safe. You can get up now." Sam pushed on her shoulder.  
  
The security officers found Sam leaning over Donna, trying to wake her up.  
  
"Mr. Seaborn. We need to fill out a report and take a statement from you about what went on here this evening." a security officer said.  
  
  
Josh, Leo, CJ, and Toby came up on the scene and heard Sam yelling. They knew it was serious because Sam barely raised his voice, let alone yelled.  
  
"What? I need an ambulance for that woman." Sam hollered at two of the junior security officers that were crowding him.  
  
"What the hell happened and how the hell could it have happened here?" Toby asked, coming up next to Sam.  
  
"Mr. Seaborn, an ambulance is on the way." another officer informed the group.  
  
"What's wrong with Donna?" CJ asked.  
  
"I pushed her down when the car came at us and now she won't wake up." Sam said with a slight tremor in his voice.  
  
CJ was the only one that appeared to hear the tremor. She'd heard it before, after Rosslyn. It was something she'd never wanted to hear again.  
  
"Sam, the ambulance will be here soon. She probably just hit her head on the ground." Josh said and put his arm around his best friend as a comforting gesture because he knew that Sam felt badly about what had happened.  
  
"Ron, I want a report on my desk as soon as possible with as many of the details that you guys can piece together. I need to brief the President on what happened out here." Leo said, to the senior Secret Service Agent.  
  
  
Three police cars and an ambulance roared into the parking lot at full speed, squealing their own tires.  
  
Sam glanced at Josh. He wanted to make sure his best friend didn't loose it.  
  
"Sam, I'm fine with it." Josh said.  
  
"I just wanted to....." Sam trailed off.  
  
"I know. Thanks." Josh said. It never surprised him that Sam thought of everyone else before himself.  
  
  
The EMTs pushed CJ out of the way, as she had been with Donna. They strapped on a C Collar and braced Donna on a backboard before they rolled her over. The senior staff gasped at the sight.  
  
Donna had a bloody, still bleeding gash on her forehead. Her blond hair was matted and coated with blood from a cut on her head, hidden by her hair. A black eye and an assortment of bruises were forming on the right side of her face.  
  
"I'm riding with her." Sam said.  
  
"That's fine." an EMT said.  
  
"Leo,....." Sam started to speak.  
  
"No Sam. Go with her. We'll all be along later." Leo brushed him off.  
  
  
Sam climbed into the ambulance as the EMT shut the doors and headed for GW. Another EMT that was in the back radioed Donna's information into the hospital and started to check her vitals again.  
  
  
Sam was shocked. He had only tried to protect her, yet he'd managed to hurt her.  
  
  
"Don't feel guilty. You did the right thing. She'll recover from these injuries. She might not have if she'd been hit by a car." the EMT reassured him.  
  
"How did you know?" Sam asked.  
  
"An agent gave us the pertinent details." the EMT said.  
  
  
The ride to GW seemed to take hours and when they drove up to the doors, Sam had never been so glad to see a place in all his life.  
  
The doors opened and things happened rapidly.  
  
"Almost run down by a car." "Pushed down. Head wounds."  
  
"Unresponsive."  
  
  
  
A nurse pushed Sam toward the admittance desk as Donna was rushed into a room.  
  
"Please fill out these forms with as much information as possible." a nurse handed him a clipboard with a thick sheaf of papers.  
  
  
Sam sat down in a waiting room and filled out the papers with what he knew. He reached for his phone, but remembered everything was still in the parking lot.  
  
"Looking for this?" Josh held up his phone.  
  
"Yeah. Where's the rest of my stuff?" Sam asked.  
  
"Leo said he'd make sure it got back to your office." Josh explained.  
  
"I grabbed this out of Donna's bag. Give me those papers and I'll fill them out." CJ said and grabbed the papers with one hand as she held Donna's planner/purse thing in the other.  
  
"Thanks." Sam said to CJ.  
  
CJ gave him a warm smile that seemed to say she understood what he was going through, all the worry and fear. They'd done this before and no one wanted to repeat it again, but fate had stepped in.  
  
  
"What the hell happened, Leo?" Sam asked as he walked into the hall and greeted his boss.  
  
"Sam, let's go back to the waiting room and talk. The rest of the senior staff needs to hear this." Leo pushed him toward the door.  
  
  
Toby had arrived and was sitting with CJ.  
  
"Okay, listen up. The driver of the car was Lisa Conrad." Leo let the news sink in.  
  
"Wasn't she Sam's....." CJ said.  
  
"Yeah. The very same one." Sam said with a dry tone and not being able to meet anyone's eyes. He didn't want to see pity from them or the guilt that was in his own face.  
  
"She has gone off the deep end. The DCPD was able to run a plate search. That's how we know it was her. They are still running checks on her address and credit cards." Leo explained.  
  
"Why would she...." Sam couldn't finish the question because he really didn't want to know.  
  
"Who knows, but they are making this priority one." Leo said.  
  
"What does that mean?" Toby asked.  
  
"This case is the only thing several divisions are working on. They are going to keep me updated with hourly check ins. You'll be the first to hear the news as soon after I get it." Leo said.  
  
  
Sam got up and walked out to the hall. Josh followed, not wanting to leave his best friend alone at a time like this.  
  
"Are you okay?" Josh asked, softly.  
  
"No. I don't understand why Lisa would do this." Sam said, voice shaking with each word.  
  
"Something must have happened. You can't make sense of it." Josh told him, speaking from his own experience.  
  
"Thanks." Sam said.  
  
After a few minutes, Sam rejoined his friends in the waiting room.  
  
"Is this the group for Donna Moss?" a doctor asked.  
  
"Yeah. What's going on?" Sam jumped out of his seat.  
  
"We found shards of glass in the laceration on the top of her head, she must have hit a car mirror or something similar when she was pushed down. There are more lacerations on her forehead which were filled with gravel and dirt, but we were able to clean those out very thoroughly. She is also suffering from a serious concussion. We're not sure which blow to the head caused it, but it is definitely what caused her to become unconscious. We have her on a high dosage of antibiotics to ward off any infection. Miss Moss should make a complete recovery without any problems." the doctor looked up from his notes.  
  
"When is she gonna wake up?" CJ asked.  
  
"Miss Moss is awake. We're gonna keep her overnight and all day tomorrow for observation. If things go well, she'll be released then." the doctor explained.  
  
"Can I see her?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yeah, come with me." the doctor said.  
  
  
  
Sam was pointed to Donna's room. He pushed the doors open and walked in.  
  
"Hey." Donna said quietly and smiled.  
  
"Are you feeling okay?" Sam asked, feeling nervous around the woman that he was so used to being around and he didn't like that feeling very much.  
  
"Yeah, the drugs are marvelous." Donna said in a dreamy voice as she rolled her head back and forth on the pillow.  
  
"I'm sorry." Sam said and hung his head.  
  
"Don't be. You saved my life tonight." Donna said quickly sobering up at the look on Sam's face.  
  
"Yeah." Sam said quietly, not able to meet her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong?" Donna asked.  
  
"The driver of the car was Lisa." Sam said.  
  
"Lisa? As in...." Donna trailed off.  
  
"The very same." Sam said.  
  
"Why?" Donna questioned.  
  
"Apparently, she's not playing with a full deck anymore." Sam explained.  
  
"What's gonna happen now?" Donna asked.  
  
"Leo's taking care of it." Sam said.  
  
"When do I get to go home?" Donna asked.  
  
"The doctor said they were keeping you tomorrow and if things go well, they'll release you the next day." Sam explained to her.  
  
"How's everyone else?" Donna asked.  
  
"They're a little shocked that all this is happening. The police want to talk to you and get a statement about what happened." Sam said.  
  
"Okay, but I don't remember much." Donna said.  
  
"Yeah. I should let you get some rest." Sam edged his way to the door.  
  
"Sam, will you stay until I fall asleep?" Donna yawned and looked very young and very scared.  
  
"Sure." Sam pulled a chair up to the bed and watched as Donna fell into a drug induced haze. He never could refuse her anything in all the time that he'd known her.  
  
He barely got any sleep, as the nurses were in every hour on the hour to make sure that all of Donna's vital signs were within limits. Sam watched her wince from the pain as she slept. He'd never wanted to have to do this again.  
  
During the night, the DCPD was able to get a hit on one of Lisa's credit cards. It had been used to rent a hotel suite dating back three weeks. After the proper warrants were drawn up, they converged on the hotel. Lisa was nowhere to be found, but the search turned up several items that would reveal her true nature and the vendetta she carried against the senior staff.  
  
The DCPD was very shocked at the state of the hotel suite. It was neat and orderly without anything out of place. Even the bathroom was weird. There were no toothpaste lids laying on the counter. There was no hair caught in hairbrushes and combs. Even the bottles of assorted hair dye were in a straight line. It was like a hospital ward. A Notre Dame ball cap, a replica of a sailboat, and a ceramic statue of Bast were proudly displayed on a table, like a shrine to something the police couldn't figure out. Only a few things remained in the room, but everything was bagged, since the police didn't know what they were looking for.   
  
After rifling through drawers and bags, they recovered many items that would link Lisa Conrad to the senior staff.  
  
At the hospital..........................................  
  
  
"Good morning." Josh breezed into her hospital room.  
  
"What are you doing here Josh?" Donna asked.  
  
"I wanted to make sure my assistant wasn't broken. I really don't want to have to trade you off for this year's new model." Josh said, trying to get her to smile.  
  
"No other model would do what I do for you." Donna laughed.  
  
"Seriously, though, how are you feeling after last night's little escapade?" Josh asked, concern gracing his face and features.  
  
"I'm fine. Nothing is broken. I'll be back to work in a few more days." Donna said, reassuring him that she was okay.  
  
"No, you are going to take the rest of the week off." Josh ordered.  
  
"Thanks." Donna said with a genuine smile.  
  
"I gotta get back. I just wanted to see you for myself." Josh gave her a pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the forehead before walking out of the room.  
  
Donna had just finished moving the breakfast around on her tray when Sam walked in the room with flowers and get well balloons.  
  
"Thanks for the flowers and the balloons." Donna said.  
  
"How are you this morning?" Sam asked.  
  
"I'm fine, but I want to go home." Donna pouted.  
  
"You have to stay here tonight, but after that, you'll get to go home." Sam said.  
  
"Yeah." Donna said.  
  
Sam stayed for a little while and when he left, CJ showed up. They were having a little girl talk when the rest of the senior staff showed up. The grim looks on their faces signaled that there was something going on. Leo quickly stepped into the room, followed by two Secret Service agents. The relaxed look on Donna's face moments before vanished with all trace of happiness and fear replaced the smile on her face and in her eyes.  
  
"What's going on?" Donna asked, scared.  
  
"The DCPD and the Secret Service were able to finish running Lisa Conrad through their systems. They found out that she has been here in Washington for the last couple of weeks and most likely long before that." Leo said.  
  
"What is that deranged bitch doing here?" Josh asked angry that this woman had tried to hurt his closest friends.  
  
"Josh. Miss Conrad is employed by some new tech start up company." Leo said.  
  
"Why is the Secret Service here?" Donna asked, acknowledging the agents that were positioned near the door.  
  
"When Miss Conrad's hotel suite was searched, items turned up that indicate that she is mentally unbalanced. She seems to have a personal vendetta against most of you. We are taking no chances. As of this moment, you are all under protective custody. That means that you all have an agent who is going to be with you until Miss Conrad is in custody. This order comes straight from President Bartlet's desk." one of the agents explained.  
  
"What things did they recover?" Toby asked quietly, having to know exactly what they were dealing with and how to deal with the situation.  
  
"The items in question were several photographs of Mr. Seaborn with various lady friends over the past several years, including Miss Cregg, Miss Moss, Miss Hayes, and Zoey Bartlet. A diary with dates of senior staff trips and presidential trips. Newspaper clippings and a fake White House ID badge were also found with her belongings along with other oddball items the police are still sorting through." an agent relayed the information.  
  
"How are they linking it to a vendetta against the senior staff?" Toby asked wanting to make sure he had all the information.  
  
"They are still investigating at this point. We are expecting to have more answers this afternoon." an agent explained.  
  
While the senior staff mulled this over, Leo motioned for Sam to come into the hall with him.  
  
"How are you holding up?" Leo asked, concerned that Sam would explode with all this new information.  
  
"I'm okay." Sam lied.  
  
"Like I believe that for a minute." Leo said, knowing that Sam was feeling the entire weight of this thing on his shoulders.  
  
"The truth is I'm hurt and confused. I don't know why Lisa would do this or what happened to make her do this. I just want some answers." Sam hung his head.  
  
"We're gonna get answers soon." Leo said hoping that the answers that they found weren't gonna hurt Sam even more than he had already been hurt by this woman. Leo knew that Lisa had almost destroyed Sam when she broke off the engagement and he didn't think Sam could stand to go through that kind of thing again and come out unscathed.  
  
"God, Leo. Did Lisa think that I was "with" Zoey. She's an attractive girl, but I work for her father and there's no way I'm crossing that line again. Think about it, basically any woman that I've some into contact with is in danger." Sam said, finally exploding.  
  
"Sam, don't let it upset you. Lisa hasn't been playing with a full deck and any woman that you were seen with probably fueled that jealousy. We know that she has chosen to focus on Donna. That's a good thing, even though it might not seem like it. We can protect Donna now." Leo explained to the younger man in hopes of calming him down.  
  
  
  
  
Morning of release  
  
  
"Good morning." Sam sailed into Donna's hospital room.  
  
"Hey." Donna said from the bed where she sat dressed and ready to go home.  
  
"Have the doctors released you yet?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yeah, I just need to get a ride home." Donna said.  
  
"Your chariot awaits you, my lady." Sam said with a smile.  
  
"You don't have to take care of me. I'm sure you have work to do." Donna said.  
  
"Nonsense. Leo told me to take the day off and make sure you are okay. Besides, I can work from home with my laptop and files. The only thing I'll miss is Toby yelling and bouncing those damn balls." Sam said.  
  
"I won't be much company cause I'm on these nice drugs." Donna said, her voice slightly higher than normal.  
  
"That's okay. I'll just work on stuff while you sleep." Sam said.  
  
"Thanks." Donna said.  
  
  
After waiting for a wheelchair, Sam drove Donna to his place as she dozed in the passenger seat.  
  
"Donna, we're here." Sam nudged her gently.  
  
"This isn't my apartment." Donna said after she opened her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, because you have cats and I'm allergic and you need someone to take care of you." Sam said.  
  
  
  
Sam managed to support Donna and carry his laptop and a pile of work up the stairs to his apartment.  
  
  
After getting Donna settled on the couch with the remote, he fell into a chair with his laptop and went to work.  
  
  
Sam didn't even notice it was lunch time until his laptop beeped the time. He looked over at Donna to see her sleeping soundly. He decided she needed her rest before food. After all, he could always whip something up for her later.  
  
Donna felt the sunlight on her face. She knew it was time to get up and her growling stomach seconded that motion.  
  
"Welcome back Sleeping Beauty." Sam said when he saw that she was awake.  
  
"What time is it?" Donna asked stretching out her arms and her body.  
  
"It's about 3:00." Sam said looking at his watch and trying to ignore how Donna's body stretched out on his couch. She reminded him of a cat stretching out her paws.  
  
"Wow! I can't believe I slept that long." Donna said.  
  
"You needed it." Sam said.  
  
"Well, I missed lunch." Donna said.  
  
"No problem. What would you like to eat?" Sam asked.  
  
"Grilled cheese." Donna said.  
  
"You got it." Sam headed for the kitchen.  
  
Donna loved Sam's apartment. It was a man's home. It was decorated in reds, blues, greens, and plaids. It felt so homey. All of the little touches around the place reminded her of how wonderful he really was. The sailing trophies, the pictures that graced the bookshelf, down to the monogrammed towels that sat on the floor of the bathroom.   
  
Sam was soon back with a grilled cheese and chips along with a glass of water.  
  
"Thanks." Donna said and dug into the food.  
  
Another couple of hours went by with Donna watching tv and Sam typing. He looked up when he heard the theme of the local news on the tv.  
  
"What do you want for dinner?" Sam asked.  
  
"You don't have to cook for me." Donna looked at him.  
  
"It's not a problem, so, what do you want to eat?" Sam asked.  
  
"Soup or something like that." Donna said.  
  
"Would beef stew be okay?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great." Donna said.  
  
  
Sam headed into the kitchen to heat up the left over stew for dinner.  
  
He brought the food into the living room and sat it one the table. Donna crawled off the couch and sat on the floor.  
  
After eating, Donna took more of her medicine and was yawning.  
  
"Hey, I think it's time for bed." Sam said.  
  
  
Donna headed for the couch and Sam grabbed her arm.  
  
"Where do you think you're going? The bedroom's this way." Sam said.  
  
"I don't want to kick you out of your bed. I can sleep on the couch." Donna said.  
  
"Nonsense. You're hurt and need to sleep comfortably." Sam said.  
  
Donna gave in and followed Sam into the bedroom. He dug sweats out for her to wear, tossed them on the bed, said goodnight, and shut the door behind him.  
  
  
Donna changed and slipped between the cool sheets and was soon fast asleep.  
  
Sam stayed up for another couple of hours before falling asleep himself on the couch. His mind was plagued with thoughts of Lisa and what the hell she was doing. Sam didn't want Lisa to hurt anyone else and he wondered what he could have done to prevent this thing.  
  
  
The loud screams and low whimpering woke him up and it took him a few minutes before he figured out that they were coming from his bedroom. Sam quietly walked into the bedroom and saw Donna in the throes of a nightmare. He gently sat down on the bed and tried to wake her up.  
  
"Donna, Donna. You are okay. Nothing's happening." Sam coddled to her.  
  
  
Donna heard the voice and was climbing to the surface. Her eyes popped open and she scanned the room. Her eyes came to rest on Sam who had a very concerned look on his face.  
  
"Nightmare?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yeah. This one was so scary." Donna whispered as she wrapped her arms around him as a scared child would. Although a child's arms probably wouldn't make him feel the same way.  
  
"Wanna tell me about it? It might make you feel better to talk about it." Sam told her.  
  
"Lisa was driving her car straight at me and I couldn't move. I was like frozen in place. Everyone was there and yelling at me to move." Donna teared up as she told him about the nightmare.  
  
"Hey, it's okay. I can only imagine how scary it was for you." Sam comforted her.  
  
Donna laid her head on his shoulder and let her breathing return to normal. She was just starting to drift off when she felt Sam push her down to the pillows and remove himself from her arms.  
  
"Stay." Donna said grabbing his hand and looking directly into his eyes.  
  
Sam saw the fear and wariness in her face and heard it in her voice. He knew that this would look bad if anyone was to walk in and if anyone did...they'd have a bigger problem to deal with, but Sam also knew that this was the only way for Donna to overcome what had happened. He wanted her to be able to get through the night and get her confidence back. He nodded and crawled into bed next to her.  
  
Donna finally relaxed when Sam crawled into bed. She held his hand and felt herself drifting off to sleep. She needed to know that someone was there for her and would be there for her.  
  
  
At the White House...................................................  
  
  
Josh was the first one that Leo talked to.  
  
"Josh, we got some new information on Lisa Conrad." Leo greeted the younger man.  
  
"What else did they find out about this bitch?" Josh asked.  
  
"Just that she's been conspiring with your ex girlfriend, who was also a bitch according to quite a few people around here." Leo said with all seriousness in his voice and a pointed look at Josh.  
  
"How is Mandy involved in this?" Josh asked, wondering what the hell Mandy was up to.  
  
"She is employed by the same start up tech company as Lisa. Apparently they are best friends." Leo said.  
  
"Someone needs to tell Sam and Donna. Did they find out anything else?" Josh asked.  
  
"They have some leads, but nothing solid yet." Leo told him.  
  
"I'd better call Sam." Josh said and headed for the door.  
  
"No. Don't tell them yet." Leo said.  
  
"Why not?" Josh asked.  
  
"Let them have this night without any problems. After what they've been through the past couple of days, they need to recoup." Leo said.  
  
"Yeah. I'll talk to them in the morning." Josh said.  
  
  
Josh went back to his office and wondered what the hell Mandy was doing and who was their next target. All the unanswered questions and unasked questions made him nervous. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt in the mess that this was shaping up to be.  
  
  
  
  
Next day at work-Donna's first day back  
  
  
"Are you sure you want to come back so soon?" Josh asked as he met his assistant in the entry way.  
  
"Yes. I was going crazy with nothing to do at home. I need to do something." Donna told him.  
  
"Fine, but take it easy. Take breaks and rest if you need to." Josh told her.  
  
"I will. Thanks." Donna said and headed for her desk.  
  
As Donna headed to her desk, she was stopped by concerned co-workers and friends. They all wanted to make sure that she was really okay for themselves. Other friends wanted to let her in on the gossip that was going on in the building and around Washington. Apparently she and Sam had made the tabloids and she was being portrayed as the innocent girl who gotten taken in by Sam and the ex-fiancé was out for revenge. She'd brushed it off, knowing that someone was just trying to sell a story that wasn't true. Donna also knew that Sam was having a hard time dealing with his life being tabloid and gossip column fodder again and made a mental note to talk to him later that day.  
  
  
When Donna got to her desk, there was a plain white envelope on her computer keyboard with her name on it. She picked it up and opened it. After reading the contents, Donna was visibly pale and shaken. It was at this moment that the senior staff walked by. Both Sam and Josh saw her and made a beeline for her.  
  
"Donna, what's wrong?" Josh asked.  
  
"This." Donna said shakily and held out the paper.  
  
Sam grabbed it and skimmed it. He handed it to Toby who passed it to CJ and then finally Josh.  
  
After Josh read it, he called Leo and moved the rest of the senior staff and Donna into his office. Donna let herself be guided into the office by Josh and Sam. She couldn't believe that this woman had gotten into her personal and private space. By that time, the fear had overtaken her body and she appreciated what Sam was trying to do for her. Sam sat down with Donna and tried to keep her talking. He didn't want her to go into shock over the letter.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Leo shouted as he came into the office.  
  
"This." Josh handed him the note.  
  
Leo quickly skimmed over the note and looked up.  
  
"Where was this?" Leo asked Donna.  
  
"It was sitting on the keyboard of my computer when I came in." Donna explained.  
  
"Okay. No one is to leave this office until you get the okay from me personally." Leo instructed and reached for his phone.  
  
After several calls, the White House was in lock down mode. The building was cleared of all non essential personnel and visitors, the president was kept in the residence with extra Secret Service roaming the building, and the senior staff was gathered in Josh's office waiting for the next step. Leo burst into Josh's office with an envelope in his hand and followed by secret service agents.  
  
"This was found for you. It has been checked for fingerprints and stuff, but you might want to read it. It explains a lot." Leo said and held the piece of paper out to Josh.  
  
  
Josh took the letter and cleared his throat before beginning to read.  
  
Josh-  
by this time, I'm sure the secret service has locked down the building  
you took my Sam away from me for that stupid campaign  
I want him back  
I will have him back, your secretary won't be able to prevent that  
watch your back and watch hers too cause Mandy isn't too fond of her either, from what I understand  
  
It was unsigned, but they all knew who it was from. The office was quiet after hearing the letter. No one knew what to say or do at that point.  
  
  
  
Three weeks later  
  
  
Donna was sorting through the mail when the familiar handwriting caught her eye. This would be the eightieth note she'd received, so she figured that Sam would be getting his notes, sorted by Ginger. Each time the threats and comments got to her. Each hitting the right mark in her heart and the threats just kept getting more intense. There were threats that made her blood run cold. There were threats against her roommate, who wanted blood from Lisa. This woman threatened to use poison on her cats and poison on her. Lisa had threatened to run her down again and this time there would be no one there to protect her. Sam had received notes threatening his family in California. Lisa had threatened to blow up his car and his boat. Sam had plastered on a smile and was making the effort to not let it get to him, but Donna knew that it was just an act and the threats and the harassment was bothering him.  
  
Josh, Sam, Toby, and Leo had tried to get her to take some time off and get out of the office. Each time Donna refused, saying that Josh needed her, but that wasn't the truth. The truth of the matter was that she was afraid to be alone or go to sleep. She was maybe catching an hour of sleep a night while her roommate was still up and then watching tv until it was time to go to work. She was living on coffee and caffeine pills and Donna knew that things were starting to catch up to her. She was having a hard time concentrating on things, her weight had dropped, and she looked deathly. Donna was also sure that her co workers were starting to notice that things weren't normal with her.  
  
  
Sam was putting all his time into work. He really didn't want to take the time to sit down and think about what Lisa had been to him and what she was doing to the people in his life that he loved and cared about. He was also so concerned about Donna who looked like she was scared of her own shadow and jumped at loud noises.  
  
Josh and Toby and Leo and of course, Sam had all taken on a protective role. They made sure that someone was with Donna at all times. They made sure that she was walked out to her car and followed home. No one wanted to take any chances with the people in their lives. They all knew and realized that Lisa was a dangerous woman who was unpredictable.  
  
CJ thought about all the times that she had met and hung out with Lisa. There had never been any indication to her that Lisa was mentally unstable. CJ realized how much Lisa meant to Sam before they called the engagement off and she knew that Sam was going through hell and feeling responsible for Donna's accident. CJ was also worried about Donna. She'd seen the dark circles on her face and the too loose clothes that just hung on her friend.   
  
  
  
"Donna, can I see you in my office please?" Josh asked after coming back from the morning staff meeting.  
  
Donna simply got up and followed him into the office. Josh waited for her to enter and shut the door. She knew something was up because he only closed the door when they were discussing serious matters.   
  
"What did you need Josh? I have your memos still to type." Donna glanced towards the door.  
  
"I wanted to let you know that the rest of the staff and I want you to take some time off until this thing clears up." Josh said.  
  
"I can't take time off. You need me." Donna said.  
  
While Donna was talking to Josh, the senior staff came into the office quietly. They'd discussed this at their staff meeting and knew it would take all of them to convince, if not force her, to take some time off.  
  
"This isn't a request. It's an order." Josh told her.  
  
"An order? From who?" Donna demanded.  
  
"From all of us. We're concerned about you." Sam said.  
  
"I don't need to take any time off. I am perfectly fine." Donna stated without making eye contact with anyone.  
  
"Donna, please stop lying to us and yourself. You've lost weight. You're here from early morning to late evening. That doesn't make you perfectly fine." CJ said.  
  
"I'm not taking time off." Donna said firmly.  
  
"Yes, you are. As of noon, you are on administrative leave." Leo said.  
  
"What am I supposed to do at home? Worry that this woman is out there somewhere?" Donna said, fighting back the tears.  
  
  
The staff suddenly realized that Donna was going through hell over this thing. The quiet was broken by the sound of Leo's cell phone ringing. After a few terse words, Leo hung up the phone.  
  
"My office now. Everyone, including you Donna." Leo said before leaving the office.  
  
  
Leo's office..................................  
  
As the staff came into the office, they noticed the DCPD officer was there with a file.   
  
"Okay, listen up. The DCPD has some new information on the case and you need to hear it." Leo said before turning the floor over to the officer.  
  
"The body of Madeline Hampton was found this morning in the apartment that she shared with Lisa Conrad. We only discovered this information this morning after talking with people who knew Miss Conrad. The reason it took so long was because only Miss Hampton's name was on the lease." the officer explained.  
  
"How was she killed?" Toby asked.  
  
"There was a single, point blank gunshot wound to the chest. There was also a note discovered with the body." the officer told them.  
  
"What did the note say?" CJ asked.  
  
"The note was cryptic but stated that Miss Hampton was the lucky winner and that she could be comforted that she was dying the way her boyfriend should have." the officer said.  
  
After hearing this reference to the shooting, Josh was visibly shaken and Sam was in shock. Donna was first to speak.  
  
"That's it. I'm gone." Donna said and stood up and headed for the door. Toby quickly blocked her path to leave.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sam asked turning his attention to Donna.  
  
"I mean that I'm done. I quit. I'm leaving because I can't take this anymore." Donna shouted.  
  
"I know this must be a shock to you all, but please understand that we have doubled our efforts to catch this woman." the officer said.  
  
"That's a real comfort knowing that this woman is out there stalking me and now she's killed. What the hell am I supposed to feel?" Donna lashed out, no longer caring what she said.  
  
Everyone could see that Donna was slipping into shock and the fear that had been building for the past three weeks was finally coming to the surface. CJ went over and put her arm around Donna. The tears started slipping down Donna's face and CJ took Donna to the restroom.  
  
The guys were left in Leo's office.  
  
"She's not handling this real well." Josh said.  
  
"Yeah." Toby said.  
  
"What are we supposed to do?" Sam asked.  
  
"This is what you're gonna do. Sam, you and Donna need to hole up someplace. Don't be seen in public. If she doesn't see you and Donna, that might force her hand to make a move. I am doubling the agents on you both for the time being. Do you have a place?" Leo asked.  
  
"Yeah, we can stay at my apartment." Sam said.  
  
"The rest of you have to stay away and not go visit. It's the only way. If Lisa thinks that Sam and Donna are romancing it up, well, you know the rest." Leo said.  
  
"Why did Lisa kill Mandy?" Josh asked the officer.  
  
"We don't have any conclusive evidence yet, but the theory is that Miss Conrad killed Miss Hampton because Miss Hampton was no longer a help, but now more of a hindrance to her plans." the officer told them.  
  
  
  
Sam's apt..........................................  
  
"How long do we have to stay here?" Donna asked as she sat her bag on the floor.  
  
"Probably a few days, not more than a week. Everyone thinks Lisa will make her move by then." Sam said.  
  
"Well, then. I guess I can try out my cooking skills this week then." Donna said.  
  
"A homecooked meal would be nice for a change." Sam said.  
  
"What are we supposed to do this week then?" Donna asked.  
  
"Toby sent a few speeches to work on, but nothing major." Sam said.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" Donna asked.  
  
"You can be my assistant for the week." Sam teased.  
  
"I get to work as your assistant this week, huh." Donna smiled.  
  
"Yeah and I expect coffee brought to me promptly." Sam teased.  
  
"I don't think so." Donna said.  
  
  
Sam and Donna worked throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening. After a quick dinner and a movie, both of them heading for bed. Donna in the bedroom and Sam on the couch.  
  
  
Sam's apt...Day 2......................................  
  
Donna had just awoken from a horrible nightmare when she sat straight up and listened closely. She heard what sounded to her like someone hitting the glass of the window. In her fear she did the only thing she could think of.  
  
"Sam." Donna yelled, her voice full of fear.  
  
Sam heard her yell and stumbled into the room. He was shocked at how she looked. Donna looked scared and afraid and the tears were threatening to fall.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sam asked softly.  
  
"I heard a noise." Donna whispered.  
  
"Donna, we're on the third floor. Lisa won't be able to get in, even if she tried. There are agents all over this building and outside too." Sam said and started for the door.  
  
"Don't go. Please stay." Donna begged him.  
  
Sam easily gave in and crawled under the covers with her. He couldn't resist those eyes and that tone in her voice.  
  
This wouldn't look good if anyone else saw them, but screw it was Sam's first thought. This woman was his friend and even more than that. She was scared and this was the only thing that made her feel safe. He wanted to make her feel safe regardless of how it looked to other people.  
  
  
  
  
Day 3...............................................  
  
"Sam, why did you and Lisa not work?" Donna asked as they both lay on his bed.  
  
"Lisa liked the idea of a law firm partner and those parties. She wasn't exactly happy when I quit my job to write and live on a bus for months." Sam said.  
  
"Oh." Donna said.  
  
"She wanted someone who looked good for her friends. Lisa hated Josh before the campaign because of something that happened when we went out one night." Sam said.  
  
"Do you miss it?" Donna asked.  
  
"Miss what?" Sam asked.  
  
"Being in a relationship. Having someone there to come home to." Donna said.  
  
"Some days I do. The bad ones. The ones where it hurts." Sam said.  
  
"I know what you mean. It would have been nice to have someone there through all this." Donna looked wistful.  
  
"You do have somebody. You have me and the rest of your friends." Sam said.  
  
"That's so sweet Sam." Donna smiled and looked happy for a change.  
  
"Don't let it get around." Sam smiled himself.  
  
"I won't, but what would CJ say if she could see us now?" Donna asked.  
  
"Probably something about being the first phone call." Sam joked.  
  
They talked for a few more minutes and drifted off to sleep comforted that they were together and going through the same thing.  
  
  
Day 4....................................  
  
Sam and Donna had their own routine of climbing into bed and talking until they fell asleep.  
  
"Sam, why aren't we a couple?" Donna asked.  
  
"What?" Sam asked, not sure if he had heard her correctly.  
  
"Why aren't we dating? We're close to the same age and have some of the same interests." Donna said.  
  
"I guess I never figured that you were interested." Sam said.  
  
"Sam, every woman in the west wing drools over you." Donna smiled.  
  
"They do?" Sam asked, totally befuddled that the women he worked with were so enamored by him.  
  
"Yeah, every woman wants you and I'm sure that you are the star of some of those women's fantasies." Donna said.  
  
"Oh." Sam mustered.  
  
"You really didn't answer my question." Donna said.  
  
"I never thought you'd be interested if I asked you out." Sam said.  
  
"Sam, Sam, Sam. All you had to do was ask." Donna blushed.  
  
"Donna, would you go out with me when this is all over?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yes. I'd love to." Donna said.  
  
"Really?" Sam asked.  
  
"You bet." Donna smiled at him.  
  
Donna rolled over to give him a hug and she kissed him on the lips. Sam's arms snaked around her and pulled her tight against his body. He pushed his tongue past her lips and into her mouth. Donna was getting very excited and so was he. She could feel him harden against her thigh. Sam was happy...having Donna here and kissing her felt so right.  
  
The shrill ring of the phone brought them both back to reality.  
  
"Hello?" Sam growled into the phone.  
  
After talking to the person on the other end for a bit, Sam hung up the phone and turned to Donna.  
  
"Lisa was tailing Josh. They tried to get her, but she got away from them." Sam explained.  
  
"Oh my god. This is getting worse by the minute. How long before she tries to get in here." Donna said.  
  
"Don't worry. They upped the agents here, so nothing is gonna happen." Sam tried to reassure her.  
  
"Do they know yet why Lisa snapped and why she's doing this?" Donna asked.  
  
"Not yet, but they're still investigating at this point." Sam explained.  
  
"I want this all to be over with." Donna admitted.  
  
"I know you do and so do the rest of us. Just lay down and shut your eyes. You need to sleep." Sam covered Donna up with a blanket and waited for her to go to sleep. He was constantly amazed by Donna everyday and through this whole ordeal. She was a strong woman and was going to survive this thing. He was finally satisfied that she was asleep and slipped back into the living room to work for awhile and sleep on the couch.  
  
The next morning..................................................  
  
  
Donna sat the cup of coffee in front of Sam's laptop and sat down on the couch next to him.  
  
"Thanks for the coffee." Sam smiled at her as he picked the cup up.  
  
"We need to talk about what happened last night." Donna brought up the inevitable conversation.  
  
"Why don't we just skip it?" Sam asked, not wanting her to feel pressured about the night before.  
  
"No, we can't just skip it. It happened and we need to talk about it before we can't even look at each other." Donna quietly said.  
  
"What was last night?" Sam asked.  
  
"I think it was our true feelings coming to the surface and trying to tell us something." Donna replied to his question.  
  
"If that was true feelings, I would say that you like me more than a friend." Sam said.  
  
"You'd be right about that and I think you feel the same way." Donna said.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't want to rush into anything right now, especially with this situation." Sam said.  
  
"I agree that the timing isn't right, but I want to see you after it is all over." Donna said.  
  
  
Sam smiled and leaned over to give her a kiss. She smiled back at him and was about to say something more when the phone rang. Sam grabbed the cordless and paced around the room, talking to Josh and Leo on a conference call.  
  
  
  
"Yes!!!" Sam yelled and hung up the phone.  
  
"What is it?" Donna asked.  
  
"They got her. Lisa is in the custody of the police." Sam told her.  
  
"How?" Donna asked.  
  
"She tried to break into the White House of all places." Sam told her.  
  
"Why?" Donna asked.  
  
"Apparently she told the police that she was visiting her boyfriend and her sister. They didn't believe her and got her name and the names of the people she was there to visit." Sam told her.  
  
"You mean to tell me that she actually said her own names and ours?" Donna asked, not believing that Lisa would be so stupid.  
  
"Yeah." Sam said.  
  
"So we can go back to living our lives, then?" Donna asked.  
  
"We'll probably have to testify at the hearing, but yeah. We're free to go back to work and our lives." Sam said.  
  
  
Donna smiled the first real smile in a long time. She was glad that the nightmare was finally over.  
  
  
Epilogue...................................................................  
  
  
  
The trial was a quick affair. Lisa had pleaded guilty to all the charges by reason of mental defect. She was sentenced to a mental hospital for a very long time. The White House was back to running as normal. Donna and Sam had come together from this nightmare and were better friends from it all. No one else understood the special smiles that the two of them shared on occasion. Josh or Sam or even Toby still insisted on walking Donna to her car at night. They weren't willing to take a chance ever again. They were more than friends and closer than family. Sam and Donna had been out on a few dates and were slowly working their way to a committed, long term relationship that everyone was happy about. Even Josh approved of Donna going out with Sam. They were all still as close as before, but the experience had changed them and made them more aware of what mattered and who mattered.   
  



End file.
